Expansion joint for concrete pavements, walks, or the like



March 14, 1939. w L I 2,150,710

EXPANSION JOINT FOR CONCRETE PAVEMENTS, WALKS, OR THE LIKE Filed Feb.13, 1937 INVENTOR M F 75 BY M ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITEDSTATES.

EXPANSION JOINT FOR CONCRETE PAVE- MENTS, WALKS, OR THE LIKE JamesBanwell, Cleveland, Ohio Application February 13, 1937, Serial No.125,657

8 Claims.

This invention relates to expansion joints and more particularly toretainers for the felt, asphalt or other expansible strips commonlyplaced between adjacent sections of a concrete pavement or walk.

An object of the invention is to provide easily installed or assembledmeans of economical construction for efliciently protecting andstrengthening the joint, and for maintaining the same in its approximateoriginal condition.

Other and further objects and advantages will herein be in part apparentand in part set forth as the description is considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cement road embodyingthe invention, part of the cement material being omitted to show one ofthe mesh supporting members for the expansion strips; 7

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the flat reinforcement sections orstrips of wire mesh.

Referring more particularly to the drawing I denotes a pavementcomprising a layer of concrete 2 resting upon the road bed 22, thenumeral 3 representing the ground line.

As is well known, in constructing pavements of concrete it is necessary,in order to prevent undue cracking and heaving due to expansion orcontraction incident to seasonal temperature.

changes, to provide expansion strips, of felt, asphalt or other suitablematerial embedded at intervals along the roadway in the concrete. It hasalso been the practice to anchor retaining and reinforcing plates ofiron or steel in the concrete adjacent to and on opposite sides of theexpansion strips. These joints have proven objectionable due to the factthat the supporting plates had a tendency to work loose in the concreteand furthermore did not wear down with the concrete. It also proveddifficult to maintain these plates in close contact with the expansionstrip without the use of expensive clamps. Furthermore these platesfailed to reinforce the concrete facing the expansion joint.

According to the present invention I anchor a pair of spaced reinforcingand retaining members 4 in the dirt road bed adjacent to the expansible'felt or asphalt strip 5, one on each side of and arranged parallel withthe strip. These members 4, are formed from flat sections or lengths 20of heavy woven wire mesh bent to the configuration best illustrated inFigure 2. Thus each reinforcing member 4, has a vertically disposedinner wall 8 and an outer wall I terminating in legs 8 and 9respectively, which are adapted to be forced into the road bed forsecurely anchoring the member 4 in upright position. Preferably thewalls 6 contact the faces of expansion strip 5, throughout their entirelength but they might under some conditions be slightly spacedtherefrom. In any event, when the concrete is poured it will flowthrough the mesh of walls 6 into contact with the strip. The walls 6thus become embedded in and therefore materially reinforce that portionof the concrete immediately adjacent the expansion strip, the area mostsubject to spalling.

It will be noted that intending a length or section 20 of wire meshsubstantially intermediate the side edges to form the walls 6 and I theupper portion of the wall i is caused to lie adjacent to and parallelwith the upper portion of wall 8, thus forming a narrow inverted U-shaped portion 8, the purpose of which will be presently described. Thelower portion of the outer wall I of member 4 is offset or spacedconsiderably from but is also substantially parallel to the inner wall6. A substantially horizontal connecting portion 9' extends betweenthese upper and lower portions in and H of the wall I, and serves toreinforce the concrete in a longitudinal direction adjacent the area ofgreatest weakness or susceptibility to deterioration.

The inverted U-shaped portions 8' provide a double walled reinforcementfor the concrete immediately adjacent to 01'' facing the strip 5 andalso provide a narrow and wear resisting reinforcement portion whichwill gradually wear away to approximately the same degree that theconcrete disintegrates at this point. The con-' crete when poured flowsfreely through all parts of the wire mesh and whenset the concrete andmesh constitute a substantially solid mass from which it is impossiblefor the mesh to work loose.

The expansion strips 5, and wire mesh memhers-4 are preferably laid atan angle cross-wise of the road so that wheels of vehicles passingthereover will engage one at a time and thus -lessen the hammeringaction of the wheels on the concrete adjacent the expansion strip.However the joint may be laid at right angles to the curbing.

If desirable flat sections or lengths 20 of wire mesh may be connectedto or above the substantially horizontal portion 9 of the walls 1, foradditionally reinforcing the concrete in an obvious manner.

Having thus described my invention:

What I claim is: '3

1. In a joint for concrete pavements, an expansion strip, a retainer forsaid strip comprising a heavy wire mesh anchored in the road bed andembedded in the concrete, said retainer having an inner wall adjacentone side face of the strip, said retainer having an outer wall extendingat its upper and lower portions substantially parallel to said innerwall, and a substantially horizontal portion connecting said upper andlower portions.

2. In a joint for concrete pavements and the like, an expansion strip, awire mesh member anchored in the roadbed embedded in the concrete andhaving a wall parallel with and adjacent one face of the expansionstrip, said wire mesh member having an outer wall comprising an upperportion and an offset lower portion.

8. A retainer for the expansion strips of concrete pavements formed of asection or length of wire mesh bent to provide a narrow upper doublewalled area and a lower doubled walled area of greater width than saidupper area, and means for'embedding said retainer in the road 4. In anexpansion joint for concrete sections, the combination of tworeinforcing members of heavy woven material for adjacent sections ofconcrete, a resilient strip between said reinforcing members, saidmembers having a portion parallel to and co -extensive with said stripembedded in the concrete adjacent opposite faces of said strip. a

5. In an expansion joint for concrete sections, the combination of twoheavy wire mesh reinforcing members for adjacent sections of 'concrete,a resilient strip between said adjacent sections, said reinforcingmembers having a wall embedded in said sections adjacent said strip andthe upper portion of said wall being of double thickness.

'7. In a joint for concrete pavements. a vertically disposed expansionstrip, a combined retainer and reinforcement on each side of said stripanchored in the road bed and each composed of wire mesh having avertical wall engaging the expansion strip and an oblique wall bracingthe same whereby the expansion strip is held in its vertical positionwhile the concrete is being poured and the sections of concretereinforced on each side of the expansion strip.

8. In a joint for concrete pavements, a vertically disposed expansionstrip, a combined retainer and reinforcementon each side of saidexpansion strip and each composed of wire mesh of approximately invertedV-shape having one wall parallel with the expansion strip and supportingthe same and having its free ends embedded in the road bed, whereby theexpansion strip-is held during pouring of the concrete and the sectionsof concrete reinforced on each side of the expansion strip.

JAMES BANWELL.

